Kyoto, the cultural heart of Japan, is where ancient traditions take centre stage.
Noted for its centuries-old temples, alluring geisha district, and time-honoured crafts, this city quietly pulses with historic charm.
Yet a wave of new luxury hotels marks a renaissance in the city’s evolution, and leading the charge is swish wellness sanctuary Six Senses Kyoto, which made its much-anticipated debut last year – and is the place to be this spring.
Read more: Munya Chawawa’s guide to Kyoto
While the hotel’s serene design subtly pays homage to the glory of the golden Heian era, this pampering pad offers a distinctly modern sleepover in the heart of Japan’s former capital.
Where?
(Six Senses Kyoto)
In Kyoto’s historic Higashiyama district, Six Senses Kyoto is a sleek new-build that seamlessly blends into the surrounding tapestry of ancient temples and machiya houses.
You’ll be steps away from some heavy-hitter tourist stops, including Kiyomizu-dera temple complex, Kyoto National Museum, and geisha-ridden Gion. It’s an easy 30 minute metro ride to Kyoto Station, or an hour from Osaka’s international airport.
Style
Airy, open spaces are a glossy melange of wood, glass and natural stone. Fluid-like furnishings in an earthy colour palette abound: in the lobby, sink into squashy sofas clustered around low-slung tables hewn from chestnut trees.
Inspiration from the Tale of Genji, an 11th-century Japanese folk tale, subtly bleeds into the interiors: ceilings folds like origami, scroll-like artworks line the walls, and traces of Genji’s ‘kitsune’ character come alive in various forms (you’ll spy fox-like footsteps carved into corridors, and fox-shaped lanterns fashioned from delicate washi paper outside each bedroom).
There are pockets of greenery everywhere you look, with tranquil gardens tucked between each floor, and plenty of references to the city outside, from ceramics handmade by locally based artists to tatami-carpeted corridors complimented by wafts of wood and citrus (the hotel’s signature scent).
The rooms
(Six Senses Kyoto)
Rooms overlook leafy inner gardens or offer views of the city’s skyline: floor-to-ceiling windows and marshmallow-soft beds are a guarantee in all 81 of them, along with homemade vegan cookies and vegetable crisps to welcome you.
TVs are discreetly hidden behind ink calligraphy artworks, with clever tech (think blackout blinds and dimmable lights) and silky pajamas guaranteeing a restful night’s sleep. For the ultimate stay, book one of the lower level garden suites for access to private courtyards.
Food & drink
(Six Senses Kyoto)
At hotel restaurant Sekki, hyper-seasonal menus change 24 times a year to reflect Japan’s micro-seasons, with locally sourced ingredients taking pride of place on the menu.
Tables groan with homemade pastries and superfood salads at breakfast time, with chefs whipping up delicate Japanese omelettes in the open-plan kitchen.
During the day, guests spill outside into the sunken courtyard garden for afternoon tea, or nibble on vegan treats and spirulina smoothies at Sekki’s relaxed cafe.
Come evening, the menu offers a nourishing mix of East-meets-West dishes: think wasabi wagyu rump and roasted vegetables on a bed of black bean hummus.
Follow the fox-like footprints to hidden speakeasy-style bar Nine Tails for an after-dinner tipple, where you can sip on herb-infused cocktails that showcase Japanese whiskies and utilise the greenery growing in the hotel’s own gardens.
The spa
(Six Senses Kyoto)
In true Six Senses fashion, the hotel has a laser-sharp focus on wellness. The seductive subterranean spa features a shimmering indoor pool, and circuit of hot and cold baths inspired by traditional onsen (separated by sex, as per the Japanese way).
Join in on complimentary fitness classes (from yoga and sound healing to sumo strength), or grab one of the hotel’s bicycles and peddle across town.
The spa features an impressive biohacking area, complete with massage belts and LED masks, along with a clutch of hushed treatment rooms where you can sink into restorative therapies, from age-defying facials to omakase treatments (leave it up to your therapist to decide what you need most).
Blend your own body scrubs at the Alchemy Bar, and get crafty at the hotel’s Earth Lab, with lessons on traditional Japanese practices such as sashiki and kintsugi.
Best for…
Wellness junkies on a city break.
The details
Rooms start from £881 per night for two, on a B&B basis. Book Six Senses Kyoto here
Want to see more of Japan? Here’s our pick of five more of the best hotels to suit all budgets
JANU Tokyo
(Janu Mercato)
Easily the capital’s slickest new address, JANU opened its doors in March this year in buzzy Azabudai Hills.
Sumptuous suites soar above the skyline, each with terraces that make perfect viewing ground of nearby Tokyo Tower: open-plan bedrooms feature deep stone bathtubs for soaking, and plush, touchy-feely furnishings.
The showstopping wellness centre spans three floors, and is home to one of Tokyo’s largest indoor pools, along with a state-of-the-art gym, boxing and yoga studios, and even ‘spa houses’ kitted out with private saunas and plunge pools.
After being pampered from top-to-toe, head to one of the hotel’s eight restaurants for feasting: there’s everything from 10-course omakase dinners to Italian cooking and French patisserie.
Rooms from £834. Book JANU Tokyo here
ESPACIO The Hakone Geihinkan Rin Poh Ki Ryu
(Espacio The Hakone Geihinkan Rin-Poh)
For a traditional onsen experience, do as Tokyo locals do, and whiz over to Hakone by bullet train, where you can unwind within the region’s healing spring waters.
For an uber-luxe experience, check into newly minted ESPACIO The Hakone Geihinkan Rin Poh Ki Ryu: you’ll find this whisper-quiet retreat tucked within a forested valley cradling Dogashima springs.
Bed down in a clutch of private villas wrapped by copper-gold foliage, and reachable only by private funicular. Each of these hideaways is kitted out with a private pool, sauna, and onsen, and much like a traditional ryokan, you’ll have dedicated attendants to meet your every whim and fancy.
There’s simply no need to leave: in fact, rooms are kitted out with pyjamas and samue for lounging around and making yourself at home.
Traditional kaiseki dinners, imagined up by Michelin-starred chefs in Kyoto, are served in the comfort of your villa: you’ll don yukata for mealtimes, and eat with personalised chopsticks, which you can take home with you.
Rooms from £1,515. Book here via Leading Hotels of the World
Villa Hanz
(Villa Hanz)
For a wallet-friendly stay near the foothills of Mount Fuji, Villa Hanz offers a glamping experience just minutes away from scenic Lake Kawaguchi. Choose from pared-back villas (complete with terraces and outdoor barbecues), or one of the resort’s ‘pao’ (glamping pods) for a sleepover under the stars. There’s a cafe-come-bar for mealtimes, and plenty of opportunity to embrace the outdoors: try your hand at wood chopping and bonfire-making. Wake up for sunrise views of Mount Fuji, before steaming off in the onsite onsen. Spotting elusive Fuji-san often proves to be a challenge, but this patch of Fuji Five Lakes region is one of the best places to do so.
Rooms from £208. Book Villa Hanz here
St Regis Osaka
(The St. Regis)
The ultimate luxury address in Osaka, The St Regis is well placed among all of the action. Straddling the city’s landmark Midosuji boulevard, and sandwiched between a slew of designer boutiques, you’ll be just minutes away from bustling Dotonburi. Pampering pads offer sweeping views over the skyscraper-studded skyline, and are kitted out with all of the mod-cons you’d expect: generous space for sprawling is a guarantee in all of them. Reflecting Osaka’s status as Japan’s culinary capital, you’ll find plenty of opportunity for wining and dining within the hotel, with French, Italian, and teppanyaki restaurants all under St Regis’ roof. In fact, food and drink are taken so seriously here that the hotel hosts a daily evening champagne sabre ritual, where you’ll be topped up with endless bubbles.
Rooms from £366. Book St Regis Osaka here
Maana Homes
(Maana Homes)
More home from home than hotel, Maana Homes is a collective of carefully designed stays scattered across historic Kyoto. In each of their three properties (which range from a reimagined machiya to a modern townhouse just minutes from Gion District), you’ll find a handful of suites, each individually outfitted with considered touches, and contemporary Japanese influences: think globe-like washi paper lanterns, and natural stone bathtubs. This may be a self-catering stay, but it has all of the touches of a luxury hotel, with fragrant scents, luxe body lotions, and homemade snacks to welcome you. There’s also a boutique where you can purchase ceramics and artworks from local artisans, a cafe serving all-day brunch, and newly launched event space Maana Atelier, for taking part in fermentation workshops and traditional tea ceremonies.
Rooms from £365. Book Maana Homes here
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